This invention relates to an implantable artificial heart for use in humans to take the place of a biological human heart. More particularly, the present invention provides a circular tube with sufficient openings for intake and output of blood wherein the blood is pumped by means of electromagnetically driven pistons.
Implantable artificial heart, or ventricular assist, devices heretofore have been used primarily as temporary blood pumping mechanisms upon end-stage heart failure until such time as a donor human heart becomes available. There is a significant shortage of human heart donors, however, which requires a need for a long-term or permanent artificial heart device. Nevertheless, existing implantable artificial heart devices are not satisfactory for long-term or permanent use due to a variety of factors. A large number of such prior art devices utilize axial flow pumps which rely upon impellers to move the blood. The use of impellers has historically caused a great number of problems, including damage to the blood cells, non-uniform flow and stagnant areas in which clotting may occur. More recently, axial flow pumps have been developed in which the impeller is caused to turn within an electromagnetic field as opposed to the use of an electric motor. Such electromagnetically driven impellers generally still involve certain of the deficiencies of electrically driven impeller pumping systems, such as cell damage, non-uniform flow and stagnant areas.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a long-term or permanent implantable ventricular assist, or artificial heart device. The device of the present utilizes electromagnetically suspended and rotated pistons which move radially about a double walled tubular housing. In a first embodiment of the artificial heart, a two chambered housing is utilized, each chamber having one intake and one outflow openings and two electromagnetically driven and suspended pistons. Each chamber functions as a ventricle/auricle pair. A single chamber having two intake and two outflow openings and three electromagnetically driven and suspended pistons functions as two ventricle/auricle pairs in the second embodiment of the artificial heart.